h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I do hope the weekend goes well for you - or, by the time you read this, that it went well for you...

I'm planning another slab of nothing this weekend. I was going to go to an election night drinks thingy tomorrow, but I've cancelled. I'm horribly afraid that the election results might depress me, and if I'm going to be depressed I'd sooner be at home, under a quilt, with lots of junk food and . Maybe even .

Whereabouts did you go for the weekend? Regardless of circumstances with HotH, is it a nice place?

My weekend has gone very badly indeed, as you'll see from my Journal entry. The election results have depressed me quite a lot.

Are you home yet? I'm wondering how things went...

Hello! Hello! And welcomed back with Thanks. I did see the Poison Dwarf return to office although I haven't had time to catch up with your Journal Entry. I shall read it later (after a second kitchen planner has gone this morning). I seem to remember that TB was only in his 40's when he came to power and ML is of a similar age. TB was relatively inexperienced as is ML. It was reported as a classic case of 'better the devil you know than you don't'. On that basis, I assume you were rat-ar*ed in sorrow rather than squiffed.

Paris was lovely. I do like Paris. In fact, London holds absolutely no charm for me whatsoever anymore. It is because it holds such bad feelings for me now. I have always wanted to go to the Palace de Versailles and it was stunning The gardens (or what I saw of them as it was raining) are magnificent. I could have stayed longer and seen the State Apartments as well as the King's Bedchambers but HotH had seen enough. And seeing as I didn't want to spoil the mood, I went along with it. And I could stand around taking arty *arty photos of the Eiffel Tower forever. Because it has no other tall buildings around it, it always makes such a fantastic silhouette whatever the colour of the sky. We didn't go into the Louvre (apparently 'to intense'!) but it is just such a marvellous building, as so many are, to stand outside and admire. EuroStar was on time, which was great, and my French managed to get as enough and to see the weekend through nicely. HotH only became scratchy on the train from the Big Smoke to home and I didn't rise to the bait in a public place.

On the personal front, yesterday, HotH should have returned to the Big Smoke but was too tired to make the journey, hence no hootooing. The mood wasn't the same. I had a ton of things to do domestically but did whatever it was that HotH wanted which was to basically get out of the house. In Paris, without Eldest and Youngest, HotH was a different person. Here at home, surrounded by the unsorted collection of everything (it really is a muddle), the untidy kitchen (out of my hands) and a generally unhappy situation between Youngest and Eldest (you sow what you reap), HotH was not happy yesterday.

Your day at the place of no fun must be nearly over What is on your social diary this week? Time to catch up over more ?

The election was a terrible disappointment - but I'll leave that for that thread.

My social diary this week is completely blank. I'm not actively seeking to change that. Things will happen, or not, and I don't mind either way. I'll have plenty of time for here.

Paris... I'll get there one day... Versailles in particular is on my Must See list. I admit to a touch of jealousy. Just a touch, mind you. After all, I spend a fair bit of time roaming around Sydney, and there are people who'd give their eye teeth to be able to do that whenever they want.

I see there's been no real improvement with HotH. I am sorry.

How's the kitchen-planning going?

I didn't like the second plan at all It is always interesting to see how people view the same thing but see something entirely different, like cloud formations. There wasn't anything that I even wanted to incorporate into the first plan. I'm picking up the visual print-out tomorrow out of courtesy and then I shall tell these people that their quote was too high.

Youngest is off poorly today with a temperature and sore throat. Youngest had been complaining of a sore throat for about a week now but the temperature threw it today for a day off school.

I still haven't had the chance to read the election result report that really matters but will right after this.

HotH took the early train to the Big Smoke this morning under a cloud. I rang at the start of the day to say thank you for a nice weekend and I then apologised for HotH's down mood yesterday. There I go again, smoothing the way and keeping things on an even keel. HotH blamed the mood on somethingelse, which it could well be. I made allowances and excuses for such moods in the past when I didn't know the truth.

You'll love Versailles when you get there. It won't disappoint. We took the train from Paris and it took 15 minutes, no stops. Did you know that the Duke of Marlborough had Versailles in mind when he designed Blenheim Palace here? The other house I would have liked to have seen is the house of Edward VII and Wallace Simpson. I have her autobiography here to read but I'm still ploughing through Jackie Kennedy. Where else would you like to visit in Europe? Have a French or two while you think about it. And European is quite different too. For you

French - Mmmm, very nice. *hic*

European - ahhh, bliss. There are a few Swedish brands I'm quite fond of. However, the best I've ever had comes from these people: http://www.haighs.com.au/dir29/ws.nsf/Publish/2254 . Sadly, they only have stores in South Australia, though there is a bookshop (of all things) in Sydney that sells some of their products. Every so often Mum sends me a Red Cross parcel with Haigh's , and Barossa Valley egg noodles, and a few other things from the earthly paradise that is South Australia that I simply can't get here. (After Haigh's, Cadbury tastes insipid and sickly. That doesn't stop me eating it, though.)

Europe... Well, there's rather a lot of Europe that I want to see. For family reasons I'd like to visit Estonia - but not Mum's home town, which was flattened in the war and rebuilt in brutal concrete. St Petersburg is a must-see. So are Prague, Venice, Dubrovnik and Berlin. France doesn't really appeal to me as a destination in itself; I'd just drop in, see Versailles, and move on. Then there's Rome, Granada, Athens, Istanbul... *sigh* Dreaming is cheap. As for the UK - it's hard to draw up a short-list.

When is HotH likely to appear next?

Haigh's looks divine. I love Macadamia nuts covered in . I also like Macadamia nut Shall we have some more ?

I'd like to see Rome and Venice too. Berlin is not on my Must See list although I'm sure its steeped in history and decadence. They say that the French don't like the English and the English don't like the French but I don't think the French even like the French! France is such a vast country with so much open space, a bit like your own fair country. The motorways are fab with plenty of stops en route to wherever and the scenery spectacular. I don't like French bread though. It's a shame my French is so basic. You'd be a whizz over there. And there's the sun in the South of France and ski-ing in the Alps and there's the wide open spaces in the middle. The UK is beginning to feel very crowded, especially on the roads.

I see on the election review that the Australians want to get out and the rest of us want to come in. Would you really go and live in New Zealand?

As for HotH, a face may appear tomorrow, I doubt today, most likely the end of the week as usual. HotH mooted the idea that a homecoming could be the beginning of November. There is going to be a big change at w*rk on the 1st but seeing as HotH is visiting Uncle Sam on the 2nd for almost a month, I don't know how it will affect HotH. I just want to see a smiling, content HotH and hopefully the rest will fall into place. The eternal optimist .....

I'm off to pick up yesterday's kitchen plan and I'm taking my ironing to a girlfriend's house because she w*rks from home so we can w*rk/iron and chat at the same time

Another glass of French is waiting for your attention

More , more - yes please.

I am semi-seriously considering New Zealand as a bolt-hole, if ever it gets to the stage that I really can't stand this place any more. Though I might make enquiries on the subject, I wouldn't make the move unless the situation became desperate. I choose New Zealand as the preferred escape because it's close, and it would be relatively easy to adapt to. (Emigration is a family tradition, in a way...)

Ironing in company sounds like a really good idea. I hate ironing, mostly because it's so isolating - I'd be happier about it if someone would keep me company while I was doing it.

I remember New Zealand to be like the UK. Flying in was like landing at Gatwick. And the principal towns were like England in the 40's (so I have been told). I remember it to be quiet. I'm sure it isn't, of course. We just didn't know where the action was. We didn't see much deprivation either. Everybody appeared to have a reasonable standard of living. Is that true do you know? What was the re-action to the election result at w*rk? Or was it ignored?

I didn't get as much ironing done as I would have liked but at least some was done. Now you can invite all your friends round for and ironing That way you get to imbibe a few , see all your friends and everybody gets some of their laundry done. Staying in to iron is the new Friday night out!

I hope that your silence indicates a rocking good time and you are drunk in a gutter somewhere, unable to attend the place of no fun or you exercised your right to say 'no' and said 'no' to w*rk today and have closed down all communication to just do what the bl**dy hell you like including staying at home to watch the new DVD with and and that you are not unwell and feeling horrid at home.

I went to the gym today with my ironing girlfriend, met one of her friends and therefore made a new friend Spoke to HotH and I expect an appearance tomorrow. I also made a grim discovery I looked up emotional abuse on the net and I was disappointed to find in black and white, aspects of my life before me But it didn't make me feel as bad as I did last week after my phone faux pas.

You're not in New Zealand already, are you? I didn't give you any supplies of or ! I do hope everything is OK and that you haven't a terrible family crisis. Have a and a just in case.

I've been rather unwell - a monster migraine and its after-effects. I'm not in NZ, and I'm not dead, but I think I came close to it at one point. Consider this a bookmark - I'll be back later...

Thanks for checking in. I was genuinely concerned towards the end there. I'm so sorry to hear that you have been poorly. I do hope that it was not the European that gave you the hideous migraine and that you are feeling much better soon. Relax, be quiet and send out for food if you don't feel nauseous. Sending you lots of tlc

It's time for me now and I wish you better today/tomorrow. Take care,

Just checking in again... I still feel a bit fragile, and will be taking it easy today and having food delivered tonight. I'm keeping thinking to a minimum.

I'm feeling much better now - almost normal, in fact.

To skim over the last few posts - I can't believe that would ever make anyone ill (and certainly not me ), and the election results were greeted with sighs of despair at w*rk. Discreet sighs, of course - as public servants, we're supposed to keep our political views quiet.

As for New Zealand - there is a joke about a Qantas flight from Sydney, and the pilot saying, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now making our final approach into Auckland. Please fasten your seatbelts, return your seas to the upright position, and put your watches back twenty years'. Not entirely accurate, but NZ is definitely part of the Quiet World.

With regard to the information you've read online - I must say that the little I know of your experience does match some of the situations that were covered in a social-work-type course I did some years ago at w*rk. But then again - who am I to draw conclusions about other people's lives?

I'm glad to know that you are feeling a little bit better and that it was not the that sent you into a miserable decline. Occasionally I get a dreadful headache that requires some peace and quiet but nothing to migraine proportions. Do you suffer from migraine alot? Do you take anything for it?

While you are not at w*rk, does your pile get attended to or does it just pile up for your return? Are you going to take another day off tomorrow?

With regards to my on-line revelations, it was just a shock and horrible to see it in black and white. I think that you would be very well qualified to pass a comment in that area. I have trouble accepting that I have gone from being loved so much to being thought so little of and then back again but not as highly as the first time round. I am eternally optimistic that the HotH that I met and fell in love with will one day surface again and we have a good time again. I naively believe that once the Big Smoke has finished and HotH w*rks from home, the pressure will be off both of us. How disappointed was I to be told that the Big Smoke could be transferred to the capital city of the Emerald Isle! The temper this weekend has been quiet but the nicey, cuddly, kissey stuff that I crave is non-existent.

The weatherman said yesterday that we are going to have one of the coldest winters for 30 years and the cold snap will start this week Is the weather warming up for you now?

Here's some more tlc for and for when you feel like it.

I do get migraine every so often, but I've never had anything like the one I had on Friday. I hope it never happens again. I think I may need some serious medical tests... I do have some heavy-duty pills for it, but they didn't do a lot this time.

Sadly, I will have to go to w*rk tomorrow. there's no escape - and when I'm not there, there's nobody to cover for me. The job's entirely mine.

If there's a switch from the Big Smoke to the Smaller Smoke, will that help anything? A change of scenery, and all that. But then again - he'll be just as absent... just in a different direction. How much control of this does HotH have?

As for the weather - it was 29C the other day, but today's beastly and I have the heater on. In general though, I'd say we're past below-zero nights for this year.

I'll save the for later. Here's a . I'm abstaining for a while, which will be a real test of strength.

Thanks for the . I fear that I'm one ahead already. Sunday afternoon syndrome. Hopefully you are in bed and resting up for tomorrow's deluge at w*rk. Did anybody come over and make sure you were OK?

HotH does have a choice being self-employed. Personally, I'd prefer a smaller lifestyle (not that I live the glamourous jet-set life that HotH does) and have a husband and Daddy around. Call me boring/conventional. This is not a corporate relocation. This is about HotH being in a job for 36 years and not knowing any other industry. It is also about being self-employed for the last 17 years and now unable to adhere to somebodyelse's rules. It is about money I'm ashamed to say.

And I understand why you aren't about to jump into a change of direction without some serious thought. But it isn't like HotH didn't know that this day was coming. I have the original press release cutting from, and I'm glad you are sitting down when you read this next bit, 1997.

HotH and Eldest have had a big clash today to the point where HotH asked me why Eldest behaves in such a way. I very diplomatically as I could said a) her hormones b) Eldest is acutely aware that you are not around very much. The response was predictable in that the three of us should fit in his HotH plans and no compromise was offered

I think you are very wise to abstain for a while. I have fits and starts where I can take it or leave it, although I mostly take it. In fact, I can feel another coming on already ......

A neighbour has just come back from Ethopia, a place you have mentioned. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the adventures there. I did ask about the food and was told that for some of the trip, the food was dire!

I hope you are OK in the morning, I'll check in anyway